$900 a night hotel rooms in London<\/a> and flights but insists it did not leave the rooms empty while she travelled to Italy to meet mining magnate Gina Rinehart.<\/p>\nFor weeks, mystery surrounded who paid for the accommodation and flights after Senator Hanson updated the register of interests to suggest it was privately funded without further details.<\/p>\n
She has repeatedly insisted that taxpayers were not footing the bill.<\/p>\n
One Nation has now confirmed that the flights and the accommodation were paid for out of party funds.<\/p>\n
However, the party denies using cash from the crowd-funded Fire the Liar fundraising drive to pay for the trip, which it says Channel 7\u2019s Spotlight originally proposed to pay for before changing its mind as it was \u201ca bad look\u201d to cover the MP\u2019s travel.<\/p>\n
News.com.au understands from party sources at the party has raised a war chest of nearly $20 million from fundraising including the Fire the Liar and is now generating significant interest from the investment.<\/p>\n
The London trip is believed to have been paid for by the party using income generated from those investments, rather than directly accessing the crowd-funded cash.<\/p>\n
The Sydney Morning Herald was first to report on Friday that party funds were used and asserted that $900-a-night rooms were kept vacant while she flew to Italy with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.<\/p>\n
One Nation insists that the second part of the story \u2014 that rooms were left vacant during the Italy trip \u2014 is untrue. Rooms were left empty on some days but not during the trip to Italy. The party has blamed Seven\u2019s Spotlight for leaking details of the trip.<\/p>\n
News.com.au does not assert this is true, only that One Nation has fallen out with Spotlight and pointed the finger at Channel 7 for the leaks.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpotlight have been shady from day one,\u201d a party spokesman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOriginal travel plans for the Spotlight episode were to be paid by channel Seven. They pulled out forcing One Nation to cover all travel costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpedia invoices prove that allegations made in the (Sydney Morning Herald) are false.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Conrad London St James is a five-star hotel within walking distance of Buckingham Palace. It is located in historic 19th-century building, positioned next to the St. James\u2019s Park Underground Station.<\/p>\n
Rooms left empty on the trip<\/p>\n
One Nation confirmed that rooms were left empty at the beginning and end of the trip to allow for late arrivals and departures for flights.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s understood that the luxury hotel would not allow an early check-in, resulting in a room needing to be booked for an extra day to account for a late arrival after their flights landed in the UK.<\/p>\n
When Senator Hanson and her party strategist James Ashby flew back, they also changed to an earlier flight to get back to Perth for a business breakfast organised by The West Australian, leaving the rooms early.<\/p>\n
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a source, granted anonymity to speak freely, claiming Senator Hanson had paid for a lengthy block and left the rooms vacant for five nights while she flew to Italy to meet with Ms Rinehart.<\/p>\n
One Nation has provided Expedia booking receipts asserting that is untrue and the booking was changed.<\/p>\n
Senator Hanson has repeatedly insisted taxpayers did not pay \u201cone cent\u201d towards the overseas trip.<\/p>\n
Rinehart picks up bill for flights<\/p>\n
Just weeks ago, Ms Hanson revealed that Ms Rinehart picked up the tab for her flights between London, Rome and Sicily and her ticket to a Dolce & Gabbana fashion parade.<\/p>\n
Senator Hanson, who previously declined to say who paid for the trip, lodged an update to her pecuniary interest register this week confirming she personally covered the cost of her accommodation, meals and expenses.<\/p>\n
However, the billionaire covered the connecting flights for Senator Hanson\u2019s European trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t cost the taxpayer one cent for my trip overseas. Not one cent,\u201d Senator Hanson said.<\/p>\n
The One Nation leader holidayed with Ms Rinehart at the five-star Grand Hotel San Pietro, where the pair were photographed poolside.<\/p>\n
The images, first reported by The Australian Financial Review, were snapped by fellow Aussies at the luxury resort in Sicily.<\/p>\n
The venue rose to fame after featuring as the backdrop for HBO\u2019s smash hit drama The White Lotus.<\/p>\n
In a social media video responding to criticism in Australia over the trip, the One Nation leader was unrepentant.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I went to Sicily. Yes, I went to the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat an experience. I was invited to go and thought, \u2018Well, I\u2019ve never been to anything like that.\u2019 And I thought, \u2018Yes, I\u2019m going to go and see it.\u2019 Is it my scene? No, no way in the wide world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Hanson has previously declared multiple gifts from Ms Rinehart and her company Hancock Prospecting, including return flights to Florida in October and a \u201cbloody big orange bulldozer\u201d.<\/p>\n
She has also confirmed being gifted a plane by Ms Rinehart to campaign in regional Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it was donated. Yes, I\u2019m super happy. Yes, it\u2019s fast. Yes, it\u2019s amazing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it means I can visit more regional towns across the country more often.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senator Hanson described the aircraft \u2014 a Cirrus G7 \u2014 as \u201csexy\u201d and revealed she would not be doing \u201cwelcome to country each (time) we land\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read related topics:Pauline Hanson<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leaked emails have revealed Channel 7 current affairs program Spotlight\u2019s botched plan to fly Pauline Hanson to 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